Album Review by Leigh Robshaw
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Herrin?s Just in Time is an album of rich emotional complexity, lyrical ingenuity and musical integrity. He is a multi-instrumentalist, talented vocalist and an insightful songwriter and storyteller. He shares a generous amount of himself on the album?s 13 tracks, created seemingly as much to satiate his own artistic sensibilities as to entertain and engage the listener – a rare combination.
Its earthy and soulful sound spans myriad styles from folk to rock, with in?ections of jazz, funk, world and Latin. He is an acute observer of life and his take on it is original, sometimes provocative and always very real. There is no pretense here, just raw emotion, a refreshing honesty and a bunch of catchy, meaningful tunes.
This is a musician who lays his soul bare for his art, resulting in a deeply intimate album that is at times moving and sad, as well as energising and inspiring. Herrin sings of love, friendship, relationship with self and others, nature and politics, within a lyrically-colourful canvas that blends velvety, powerful vocals with spoken word and poetry.
Herrin is obviously a can-do guy. Not content to write, sing and play guitars, bass, keyboards and drums, he has also mixed, mastered and produced the album and it has paid off, producing a holistic, integrated sound that do the songs great justice.
Standout tracks are the opener, God?s Cafe, a smooth and jazzy ballad with classy piano accompaniment by Zane Savage; the stunning, almost cinematic instrumental piece Arc of Rain; Oh World, an acoustic rock track that builds to a crescendo, with backing vocals by Simone Townsend; the gut-wrenching ballad Another Way, which highlights Herrin?s vocal range and emotional dexterity; the epic Just in Time (parts 1 and 2), building from a soft intro to a passionate ?nish; and Anymore, a tear-jerker that exudes sensitivity.
Just in Time is a thought-provoking album that commands your full attention and feeds you its messages of love, loss, hope and pain almost intravenously. It is also a soothing soundscape to have playing in the background to add an evocative mood to your day or evening. It takes more than one listen to grasp its fullness, so make sure you spare some time to just sit back and let it sweep over you so as to appreciate all it has to offer.
